Hanging By A Moment
by Seiji and Shizuku 4ever
Summary: "..It doesn't take half a brain to know you love her, Alphonse." "Brother! Not so loud!" AlxOC; oneshot.


**A/N: Well, here goes! My first FMA fanfic..*sweatdrop* xD It's always really weird, in a stepping out of your comfort zone kind of way, to write for a new category. ^^;; Anywhoozle, thanks to two good friends of mine and my sister, I got hooked onto Fullmetal Alchemist with little prodding. xDD It's a hard-concepted show but extremely intriguing, and I love it! x33 It's always exciting getting into a new show. (especially animes. =D) ..But anyway. I instantly fell in love with Alphonse! ^.^ He's the earth's biggest sweetie, I'm tellin' ya. =] Something I'm sure you guys already know. xD Point is, I'm a newbie to FMA and rather inexperienced and ignorant, so this might not be that good. But oh well - dunno until you try, right? ^^' I'm givin' this my best shot! 83 I hope y'all like it overall! :3 And I really hope I'm in character with the two much-loved protaganists of the show. ^_^**

**Disclaimer:..Right. I'm totally smart enough to create something as awesome as FMA. **_**You **_**get a brain! xP I own nothing except Nasuki and Kittredge. :D**

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><p>The window from the hayloft was the only source of light in the rundown, musty-smelling barn. The view of the twinkling, pearly-white moon and stars in the velvet black sky from the open window was beautiful, in Al's opinion. Of course, he was the only one that took the time to appreciate the scene. As soon as they had been able to find this out-of-property, deserted barn, they had taken to it like a flock of birds and Ed had situated himself onto a pile of hay, snoring before his body even made contact. Nasuki, her eyelids drooping, had curled up in Al's lap as he sat down, sleep claiming her instantly as well. A few weeks ago her closeness would've made Al feel rather embarrassed (he was still a kid deep down inside, after all), but with Nasuki obviously being a natural cuddler, he'd gotten used to it... and rather grown to like it, actually, even though he couldn't particularly feel her touch. Still, it made Alphonse feel a little special that Nasuki would choose his cold, steel body over, say, warm hay like Ed was in.<p>

She hadn't bothered to remove her shoulder-bag in her half-asleep state, so Al considerately moved to gently take it off, placing it on the hard-packed dirt floor beside them. Nasuki shifted with a satisfied sigh, obviously more comfortable now. Al found himself studying her - not as if he could do anything else, with his not being able to sleep and all. He had to find ways to entertain himself as he waited for the long hours to pass. Usually he'd read a book or something to that extent, but tonight with most of the barn shrouded in darkness, that wasn't an option.

Nasuki's chestnut brown hair was coming undone from its carefully-intricated braid, wavy tendrils protruding here and there. Her eyebrows weren't drawn together like they usually were during the day, giving her a look of serene tranquility. A closer look revealed the natural color in her brows. Nasuki had revealed to him not long ago that the rich brown color was in fact dyed with the use of alchemy - her natural hair color was a sparkly blue, or so she'd said. She'd had to dye it when she went on the run. Now, though she usually tried to hide it by covering it with mud and various dark makeups, Al could see the blue peeking through her brows. It gave him a glimpse of what her hair would look like, if the dye ever faded. He bet it was pretty and went well with her teal, cyan eyes, which would take a million shades of color to paint.

Nasuki's pink, rosebud-shaped lips were parted slightly as her chest rose and fell with every breath. The moonlight peeking through the window landed on her, bathing her in the magic of the night. It was as if the clouds had positioned themselves in perfect trajectory solely for her benefit. Had Al actually been able to breathe, he knew the sight would've taken his breath away.

Alphonse suddenly noticed with a start that she was shivering. He hadn't known there was a chill in the air; he couldn't feel, after all. Al searched around then with satisfaction located a saddle blanket, fortunately within arm's reach (his, anyway). He brushed it off and took great care to shake it out before gingerly draping it over Nasuki. Al was pleased to see her shiver dissipating within a few minutes.

A sudden meow jolted him from his thoughts. He turned to see Nasuki's calico kitten peeking her head out of the bag, her bright eyes piercing the darkness. Al gingerly scooped up Kittredge and placed her in her owner's lap. The kitten was instantly satisfied and curled up in the crook of Nasuki's arm. If Al could smile, he would have just then. Nasuki and her tag-along pet were practically inseparable. In fact, Kittredge was how Al and Nasuki had first met.

He'd seen the poor, helpless kitten being chased by a pack of hungry dogs (they'd run past him: the kitten had run under past his legs, then the barking dogs followed suit, nearly knocking Alphonse right over in their mirth), and gone to rescue it instantaneously. As soon as he'd salvaged the kitten and chased the dogs off, Nasuki had stumbled upon them, obviously having been searching for Kittredge. He'd seen the fear that'd flashed in her turquoise eyes for a split second at the sight of him before she'd boldly marched up and demanded that he give back her kitten or else. Alphonse had been surprised if nothing else. Everyone who was intimidated by his leering stature usually didn't have the nerve to approach him, much less address him so fiercely as Nasuki had. From then on he'd been intrigued by her.

It had been icing on the cake, so to speak, when Nasuki had asked to tag along with them. After learning that Ed was a state alchemist, she shared her story (which, in Al's opinion, was really sad), and made it clear she needed to find her parents' old family friend, who coincedentally was Roy Mustang. Edward had agreed to let her accompany them to Central, but only when he'd learned that Nasuki was an alchemist, too - and had a unique ability, in addition. She could suck air particles into her body and transform them into gamma light, then channel the energy to her hands. It really was impressive. Though her alchemic skills were good (her special ability was all she knew how to do alchemy-wise), it was obvious she needed more practice than alchemy books could give her, which was how she'd taught herself.

And that was one of the reasons why Nasuki needed to find Colonel Mustang, in hopes that he could train her more and help her improve in her alchemy. Anyway, but Al had known what his brother was thinking when he'd given into Nasuki's request - when they ran into battle (it was never an _if_ with them, it was a _when_), she could come in handy with her alchemy. Although Ed had come pretty close to backing out of the deal when Nasuki made it clear she was bringing Kittredge along (much to Al's delight), Nasuki's headstrong stubbornness rivaled Ed's. After a long debate, to Al's surprise Ed had backed down to the kitten coming along, too. Nasuki had just kept surprising him more and more. It wasn't everyday Ed lost an argument to someone, especially if the odds were in his favor. Nasuki knew how to play her cards - and play them well, she did.

But Al had really enjoyed getting to know her as the weeks drew on - despite her exterior snarky and sarcastic wit, Nasuki had a soft, sweet, and loving side that'd been made apparent to Al as they spent more time together. Though a little flustered by her presence at first (she was a girl - and he would be going through puberty had he been in his human body), Alphonse had eventually grown to feel at ease and have fun with her. These kind of feelings were unfamiliar to Al, but confusing as they were, he kind of.. enjoyed it, in a way.

As the night drew on, Alphonse noticed Nasuki shivering again. Concerned, he looked over at Ed to see if he gave any signs that he was cold. He wasn't, but then again, he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a trenchcoat. That probably helped.

Al wasn't sure what to do and could only watch her in stricken silence until his gaze landed on her braid. Carefully and gently, with one hand he moved to unbraid her hair for additional warmth, praying that he wouldn't hurt her - like if a strand of hair got caught in his armor or something, knowing his luck. Al felt a strange combination of relief and truimphance as he finished, watching her hair cascade past her shoulders. It seemed to help, and Nasuki seemed more comfortable now without having to sleep on a thick, heavy braid. Al listened to her breathe, so soft and steady, almost melodic. He couldn't help but admire her hair down. It was rare to see Nasuki's hair in anything but its trademark French braid-ponytail, so he took it in while he could. It was so thick and luscious, silky. She should wear it down more often - when it wouldn't get in the way, that is. It really framed her face in a..feminine, way.

Al couldn't stop staring. She just looked so.. so at peace. And _pretty. _Not that she wasn't usually - in fact, whenever they went to town, she would receive several admiring glances, which always gave Al an odd twinge of envy and he would move to walk closer to her in hopes of distracting the men from her looks to his - but her beauty was so enhanced tonight, for some reason.

She'd definitely given Al a highlight to staying awake through the night since she'd joined - even entertained him. Sometimes she would talk in her sleep...

"There are some perks to not being able to sleep, eh, Al?"

Al was so surprised to hear Ed awake that he forgot to be embarrassed at his comment. "Brother! I didn't know you were up."

It was hard to tell in the dark, but Al was sure Ed was smirking. "Yeah, well, I'd say you were too busy checking out Nasuki to notice." He sat up, now visible in the moonlight streaming in. Pieces of hay clung to his braid, almost identical to the golden blonde of his hair.

"Ed! I was _not!_" Al hated how the embarrassment he felt showed so easily in his voice, as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't.

Ed chuckled, which sounded more like a snicker. "Oh, so you were just staring at her for ten consecutive minutes? Makes sense."

Ed had been awake that long? Al had been _staring _that long? "..What else am I supposed to do?" he protested, trying to conceal the bashfulness in his voice. _Now I know how __**Ed **__feels whenever I tease him about Winry.._

Ed yawned. "Hmm, well, guess I can't blame ya there. Gotta find _some _way to entertain yourself." He flashed a teasing grin, stealing a glance at his brother holding the sleeping girl on his metal lap. He hadn't been so oblivious as not to notice the way they had softened toward each other in the short time Nasuki had been with them. She was a spitfire when it came down to it, but here lately Ed had glimpsed an innocent, carefree, kindly childlike side of her Al had managed to bring out. Given the opportunity, Nasuki was always cuddling up to him, something Ed noticed Al had gotten used to after a period of sheepish isolation. As for Al himself.. whether he'd even realized it or not, he'd become fiercely protective of her. And although Alphonse was a generally happy person overall, Ed had never seen him _truly _happy in that armor body of his.. but he came pretty dang close whenever he was with Nasuki.

In fact, just on the way there, Ed and Al had been forced to engage in combat with one of their beloved "friends" again, and also been forced to make a group retreat, as much as Ed hated it. They'd run through the dark searching for shelter, and as night fell it'd obviously grown harder to see. Nasuki had tripped on uneven ground and twisted her ankle, going down. She'd emitted a soft cry as she fell, but jumped right back up, ready to run again even though her leg was obviously sprained. Ed had to give it to her, she never complained once, even though her idea of a perfect day was lazying around above all. She never griped (as honestly Ed had expected her to) about their pace or her pain or what a complete drag everything was, so named the Elrics' lives. She was full of tireless persistance. But Al wouldn't have it. Against her protests that she could keep going, he'd scooped Nasuki up into his metal arms and the duo had resumed running again. Even though his words were few, Ed knew that Al had held great protective concern for her. He always did express concern over the smallest, most trivial things - even more so when it came down to Nasuki lately, Ed had also noticed. Alphonse had even started calling Nasuki by an endearing nickname - "Nasu-chan". She seemed to like it, too. Or not hate it, at the very least.

Al seemed to remember the same and looked at him. "In the morning we need to see if there's a pharmacy nearby. We need some bandages.. for the both of you." His last comment was so firm it was almost parent-like. Their beloved "friends" hadn't let Ed escape easily.

Ed shrugged off the thought. He always got used to the pain. He didn't mind it, actually. In a way, it was what he deserved for confining Al to his current body. He watched as Al checked on her ankle, the hint of a smirk edging up the corners of his mouth. "..It doesn't take half a brain to know you love her, Alphonse."

Al's head snapped up, which made a slight clanging sound. "Brother! Not so loud!" he hissed.

Ed chuckled, leaning back and stretching his arms over behind his head. "Al, we both know that girl could sleep through a trainwreck - _in _the train. Don't worry about her waking up now."

Alphonse was silenced for several moments, absorbing his Nii-san's words. He knew he'd harbored special feelings for Nasuki, but he'd merely thought it was a strong friendship. Was Ed right? Was it really that obvious? _Well, I guess Ed would know, _he inwardly mused, though too stunned into silence at Ed's rather out-of-the-blue statement to voice the thought.

"..My standard of love is different than others," he finally responded after a minute of thought. "So, in my own way, I guess I do love her."

"Don't procrastinate yourself, Al," Ed retorted. Al didn't have to see his brother this time to know there was a smirk in his voice. "It's written all over your fa-" he paused, "erm, I can hear it in your voice."

Al would've facepalmed, but the gesture would be pretty pointless - he couldn't feel it, and it'd just make noise. Not to mention the giant spike on his helmet. "Nice save." Feeling defensive, he then added, "What makes you such the expert?"

Ed stammered incoherently then crossed his arms, plopping back down in the hay.

For once Al didn't prod. He didn't want any further teasing. Feeling a bit truimphant to be able to silence his brother, wordlessly his gaze traveled, unintentionally landing back on Nasuki though he tried to avert his attention elsewhere.

"Oh, and hey, Al." Ed propped himself up on one elbow. Al internally groaned. "..You don't have to wonder if the feeling's mutual. Nasuki's a total goner."

Al couldn't help it: he gasped. "What? Are..are you sure?" He felt foolish asking: it more or less revealed what he'd tried to protest, but he didn't care at the moment.

"Positive. She's smitten." Ed chuckled, laying back down. "Gee, and I thought the metal suit would be a real turn-off."

Al wanted to retort, but nothing came to mind. Absolutely blank. Great. "..How do you know?" he asked quietly. Not the best response, but he was curious.

Ed turned to grin at him. "You're not the only one that hears her talk in her sleep, Al." The words sent a strange fluttering where Al's stomach should've been. "..Just make sure she doesn't do that tonight. Can't have her get too loud and give out our hiding place." He yawned again, then turned over, silent.

Alphonse mused over Ed's words. The more he thought about them, the more he realized Ed was right.

Nasuki _did _talk in her sleep - sometimes about random things, her family... and even sometimes, the family she _wanted _to have. She mentioned Al a lot... but he'd thought maybe it was just sleep jibberish taking over. Though he couldn't deny the rush of excitement that went through him emotionally whenever his name came up.

Nasuki constantly invaded his thoughts now.. and lately he'd been wishing even more fervently have his body back so he could feel her touch, or brush back a stray hair without hitting her face on accident.

And that was when reality kicked in. _Why would she want someone like me? _Al wondered disspiritedly. _She deserves someone..someone who can give her what I can't.. Someone who can actually kiss her!_

Wait.. why was he even thinking about this in the first place? _Did _he really love her?

Al looked down at Nasuki again, gaze lingering. ..Maybe he did.

Al looked up at his brother's form, needing to ask some questions while he still had the nerve. What chance did he have with her? How did he go about this? What now? "..Brother?"

A snore what all he got in response.

Alphonse sighed, then jerked to attention as Nasuki shifted again in his hold. He didn't feel it; he only knew she shifted because when she moved, the blanket over her rustled against his armor, making a scratchy noise. She murmured his name in her sleep, an adoring smile flitting across her face before she sank back into deeper slumber.

Al felt a strange stirring as he watched her, feeling all his previous frustration-laced questions dissolve into oblivion. He decided then and there that his third wish, for when he got his body back, was to kiss his Nasu-chan.

"Maybe I do love you," he whispered into the cricket-chirping air. It felt good to admit it, to put it out in the open. Not necessarily saying it to Nasuki, though he addressed her slumbering form, but just saying it, the night air his only witness.

For the first time in years, Al felt one step closer to being complete.

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><p><strong>AN:...Gah, I REALLY hated how that turned out. -_- Not how I planned at ALL. I thought I'd ease my way into it and explain Nasuki's backstory and everything: I didn't wanna jump right to the point. But I think I dragged it out too long and just ended up boring my readers in the long run. =_= And then when I **_**did **_**get to the real story, it didn't go well at all. I don't think I was in character at all, and I feel like I could've done so much better with Al's character and his viewpoint. *sigh* Oh well, maybe I'll redo it in the future - or better yet, delete this. xD Guess it's ok for a first though, right? Right? *crickets chirp* Meh..xD**

**Anyway, but I guess that's all up to you reviewers! Please, take the time to review and share what you really thought of this story, criticism or encouragement or otherwise. I would REALLY appreciate some feedback! I need to know if this story really is as bad as it is in my eyes. Dx **

**Lol, and I'm painfully aware of how much Nasuki seemed like a Mary-Sue in this, mostly because she never talked in this story and because this entire thing was mostly in Al's POV; and I think he would mostly see the good in everyone, right? Right. So..yeah. That's my excuse. xPP **

**This is brought to you by our favorite li'l pipsqueak midget! :D Lol, while writing this, I thought of the songs "Hanging By A Moment" and "You and Me" by Lifehouse, "Over My Head" by the Fray, and "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith. x3 Totally awesome.**


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